Alcohol Detox for Women
Alcohol addiction affects millions of women in the United States. Since alcohol is legal for adults to drink and purchase, the beginning of an addiction may be difficult to identify. It may start out as something to help relax at the end of the day, or be a reason to go out and have fun with friends. For many women, this is the extent of their drinking habits. However, for women with alcohol addiction, it goes much further than this. Alcohol becomes the center of a woman’s life. Understanding physical addiction to alcohol helps to know why a medically supervised detox program is the best option.
Alcoholism in Women
A woman with alcoholism goes out of her way to get her supply of alcohol, possibly spending money she doesn’t really have. As the alcohol takes its toll on the brain and nerve synapses, she becomes more difficult to live and interact with. Periods of sobriety are brief, perhaps only hours at a time.
Even when she is sober, her thinking patterns and mood have been significantly altered by the physical and emotional aspects of alcohol addiction. She has become used to emotions being managed with the alcohol, and her body has adapted its functioning around the alcohol’s constant presence.
Along with the emotional and social problems created by an addiction, the alcohol itself does a lot of damage to a woman’s body. Unfortunately, it takes less alcohol over a short period of time to lead to an addiction. It also does more physical damage more quickly to a woman’s body.
Alcohol Detox Process
When a woman becomes physically addicted to alcohol, the best way to begin recovery is a medically supervised alcohol detox period. This step prepares her for the long-term process of recovery. Her body may have anywhere from mild to severe reactions to the absence of alcohol.
She might experience shaking, nausea, or mild headaches. Or, she might have more serious Delirium Tremors (DT’s) and seizures as her body goes through alcohol withdrawal. Seizures can cause injury, which is another reason to go through detox in a medical environment. A professionally trained staff can keep the woman comfortable, be sure she remains sober, and keep her physically safe.
Alcohol Detox at the Orchid Recovery Center
A woman going through alcohol detox at the Orchid Recovery Center can have peace of mind. She will begin her sobriety in the care of professionals, with many methods and appropriate medications to ease her through the alcohol detox process. But detox at the Orchid goes beyond just that.
From the time a woman goes through the initial detox phase, she seamlessly begins her full holistic alcohol rehab program. She takes part in individual and group counseling to provide critical emotional support and a sense of community.
Dr Karen Dodge is an addiction medicine specialist. She has done extensive research about women and addiction recovery. Dr Dodge helps women through the power of “relational growth” during their stay at alcohol rehab. Any woman seeking help at the Orchid Recovery Center would receive highly specialized care during her private alcohol detox process.